Horse & Pony Care

This is an unmounted rally. Please wear sensible shoes and clothes. It will include practical work as well as theory and will be aimed towards preparation for the various tests.  Syllabus for all Pony Club tests from E test to A test can be found on the Pony Club website.

Achievement Badges

Mostly unmounted (unless otherwise specified please assume unmounted but always ask if unsure). Please wear sensible shoes and clothes.  It is a good idea to do some studying for the badges beforehand although you will receive instruction on the day.  Information/syllabus for the badges can be found on the Pony Club website (www.pcuk.org).  Mini badges are aimed at those younger members who are working towards E and D test.  The big badges are mostly C test standard with a few being at C+ level.  Some badges are equine, others are not.

Mounted Rally

These vary in length – in the winter the are usually approximately 1 hour, in the summer they can be all day.  You bring your pony with you and will be divided into groups of similar ability.  Parents normally stay and watch.  You will do a mixture of dressage, show jumping, cross country, mounted games and at all day rallies some Horse and Pony care.  For advice on what to wear see the Pony Club clothing section of our website.

Junior Camp

A non residential camp for ponies and children. Children and ponies arrive each morning and go home each afternoon for three consecutive days.  Parents stay to help their child.  This camp is aimed at our youngest/most inexperienced pony and rider combinations and is a fun filled camp where pony club members get to know one another, have fun with friends and ponies whilst developing their riding in all disciplines as well as doing some elements of horse and pony care.

Intermediate Camp

This is a residential camp for ponies and children.  Ponies stay in electric fenced paddocks or stables. Children sleep in horse lorries/trailers, tents or caravans on site.  Parents are required to help if possible but not all day/all week – a rota is put together by the camp organisers/camp mums who are on site all day/night. All food is provided for the children but you must provide food and bedding for your ponies.  Alongside lots of riding covering all disciplines and horse and pony care there are usually a variety of horsey and non-horsey fun activities and entertainments which in the past have included visits to the hunt kennels, swimming, circus tricks, carriage driving and roller skating.  Children/ponies are divided into groups of like ability (called ‘rides’ ) and allocated an instructor who stays with the group for the entire week across all the disciplines.

Senior Camp

This camp is similar in format to Intermediate Camp but attendees, who are generally older and more experienced, are expected to be more independent and take more responsibility for looking after their pony and getting ready for lessons on time.  This is also a fully catered camp (with any exceptions being communicated in advance). Participants are organised into groups (called ‘rides’) and will receive tuition from different instructors across the various equine disciplines throughout the week.  The evenings are less formally organised than for intermediate camp with the emphasis being on socialising with peers and building Pony Club friendships alongside the odd fun activity which in the past has included space hopper racing/high jump and pilates!

Any queries, in particular about which camp to attend, in the first instance speak to Katherine Painter.

Dressage Competition

These start with a very simple walk and trot test which can be called and ponies wear any normal riding bit and tack.  The competition progresses with increasingly difficult tests which cannot be called and there may be some restrictions on bit/tack used.  All dressage tests we use can be found on the Pony Club website (www.pcuk.org) or obtained from Katherine in order that you can learn the test and practice it at home.  Once at the competition, when it is your turn to go you walk or trot around the outside of the dressage white boards until the bell rings, you then enter the dressage arena/ring at A and carry out your test within the dressage boards until you have finished when you will then exit the ring at A.  Details of clothing for you and your pony can be found in the Pony Club Clothing section of our website.

Show Jumping Competition

These competitions are held in an arena or roped arena.  These competitions usually consist of a course of coloured knock down fences and where appropriate fillers which they aim is to jump around without penalty there is then a  second round “jump off” against the clock to decide on a winner.  If it is a single phase competition you jump the first half of the course in a normal rhythm and the second half the course is “against the clock” designed to be jumped at a quicker pace with the fastest time with least penalties providing the winner.  Clothing advice, as before, in the Clothing section of our website.

Cross Country (XC) Competition

These competitions are held in open land of one ore more fields.  They consist of a long course of solid, mostly rustic, fences which may consist of water, ditches and banks.  There may be an optimum time for the whole course (a time you should aim to complete the course in with penalties awarded for being slower and sometimes for being too fast) or there may be a timed section of the course with no time applied to the entire course; in this case the fastest time over the timed section is taken into consideration alongside penalties when placing competitors.  You may wear cross country colours for these competitions alongside your approved hat and body protector and medical armband.

One Day Event

These are made up of the three disciplines:  Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross Country (XC).  There is no timed section but there may be an optimum time – a the lower levels there is usually no penalty for going too slowly but there will be penalties for going too quickly (it is recommended you always check the rules of the particular competition you are entering to ensure you are aware under which format the class you are in is being run).  Penalties from all three disciplines are added together (your dressage score is converted to penalties) and the lowest overall score is the winner.  Dressage tests may be called at Level 1 (fences 60cm and under).  You would wear clothing and tack appropriate to each individual discipline.

Hunter Trial

Similar to XC competitions. There may be pairs classes judged on either style or time. They may included the need to open and close a gate.

Eventer Trial

A jumping competition made up of a mixture of simulated XC fences and Show Jumps, with part of the course being timed to find a winner.

Combined Training

A competition with a dressage and show jumping element.

Jump Cross

This is a course of knock down fences that are spread across several fields (so a cross between show jumping and traditional cross country with solid fences).  It may include water, ditches and banks.  The nearest course to us is at Wittering.

Tetrathlon/ Triathlon

Pony Club Tetrathlon is very much like Modern Pentathlon, which you may have seen in the Olympics. It provides Members with a challenging competition requiring practical horsemanship, general athletic ability for running and swimming along with a steady hand for shooting. Often Triathlons are run at the same time which omits the riding phase, so is perfect for any non-riding siblings that wish to get involved.  

There are 4 age categories for both competitions

Intermediate– upto the age of 25
Juniors –upto the age of 14
Minis – between the ages of 8 and 11.

Beanies – between the ages of 4 and 7

Beanies are required to throw a bean bag to a target rather than use a gun.

Competitions can be entered as teams or as  individuals and it’s great fun  for the whole family.  For more information on jump heights, shooting,  running, swimming distances click here and contact Jolene Skellett  joleneskellett@sky.com out Tetrathlon co-ordinator to register your interest.